Trouble Maker and the Fool (Phan au)
by DOMO-RISKI
Summary: Upper and Lower Earth has been divided into a magic and Science based world. The punishment of having affairs with the foreign part of Earth, is death. But boredom always has a way with a boy named Dan, sending a string of dreams to what his magic chooses. On the other end of Dan's magic, is Phil. All his life, he's been diagnosed as a fool, but now he knows something most don't.
1. The 2 enter

History was always bloody. Wars broke out between magic and mind as it left many in chaos and death. Two that seemed like entirely different species would clash and argue until a couple centuries ago, a stale mate of two people from both sides of war decided it'd be best separating. No more blood should be scattered and their differences would fade away as they said. The people born into magic will take up into the sky where intelligence shall remain on the Earth's crust, as should no normal citizen should be allowed contact with the other.

The punishment of doing so? A silent death.

In fact, no one shall be told of the other, future generations will continue to live peacefully without knowing a whole other world exists. Forever should it main the secret law of Earth.

Dan, AKA I, was bored, like always. Being with twelve other siblings, you get pushed aside in this big house with nothing but to stare at the ceiling. Especially when you get a time out with magic because you tried to make your big brother a toad, which I would have gotten away with if it wasn't for my little sister, jack, to run her mouth.

I was the third oldest in my family, the oldest being my brother (the one I tried to change into his true form) Sky who had this arrogance about him because he was the well known one, the one to inherent the wealth and family name. Never mind the child that screwed up and got in trouble all the time.

The Howells was famous for being the descendant to the hero who split us into the sky; the one who defeated the ravenous monsters below and ended the terror to the magic wielding folks. Of course, that's what normal citizens are told. Only the Howells and the government know about what really happened with the whole plane of existence underneath. But we are to go along with the story and follow the same wealth line as it has for generations. The oldest will always be named Sky with one of the very few privileges in that they are allowed to visit and have contact with the lower world, with heavy regulations of course. But that's only until he reaches the age of thirty, which he only just graduated from high school with a D and F average. Its sad knowing that a bully like him can get through life well off no matter what rude things he's done.

Though I guess I can't say much, I was still born into the wealthy family so people decide to be kind to me because of it. It's getting hard to distinguish a real to a fake smile now-a-days when everyone is expected to respect you in fear of _'What if I piss him off?'_ Sky has been known not to take mercy on his victims. Feels so disgusting saying that.

I lay on my bed with a zombie-like expression, wondering about the universe and what's the point of being here when a loud voice brought me back to reality.

"Dan!" A little girl called out, only about six years of age and Jack's twin sister, Denise. She came in holding Jack's hand, the little girl whose head was facing down in disappointment. "Jack, you have something to say?" The sad girl sighed before she spoke, defeat in her voice.

"I-I'm sorry Dan… I shouldn't have tattle-tailed, didn't mean to get you in trouble." Denise always favored me out of everyone, saying that all of the other older siblings were mean to her and her friends, but personally this was going a little too far. Jack wasn't a crier, thank god, never the one to throw tantrums and all that, but she did run her mouth a bit. But even so, I feel bad looking at her with her head down, defeated by Denise's bold and determined attitude to make her come in here.

"No, no! Come on, I don't like to see any of you like that." She lifted her head with a bland frown. "Look, don't feel so bad. It happens and I'm the one who tried to turn him into a toad in the first place."

"And he deserved it, he told Jack to get the F-word out of his room yesterday!" Denise exclaimed.

"He did? Well, I should have turned him a sail instead!" I was playing along with them, like I did with everything else. _Play along._ But it did upset me a bit hearing that. Luckily it got Jack to smile, even if it was just a little twitch in the mouth. They both agreed to that statement in laughter.

Even if there were some rotten siblings in this family, at least there were the few that I wouldn't trade for the world.

"Dan?" Jack asked, and I knew what was coming next.

"Yes?"

"Can you some of your magic? It'd cheer me up…" She was wearing that puppy face, not like I'd say no if she didn't anyway.

"Well, I guess I can do something small while grounded. This is just a secret just between the three of us." Both of the girls looked at me with wide eyes, wondering what little show I have for them. I did something simple, but it still fascinated them since magic is a thing you can't practice and control until around eight years of age, minimum.

I raised my hand, hoping to do this right until a dark bluish ball appeared, shimmering and contorting in its own circular shape. Letting my hand down, I gently passed it off to Jack and Denise as they stared at it in awe and calling it pretty a few times, holding it with the upmost of care.

"Hey Dan" Denise called out in a whisper like the ball might be some sort of sleeping kitten. "You're taking us to school tomorrow, right?" That was always the common drill for me, take them and their older brother to school because they want me instead of their school vehicle, a big thing that went Grandma speed, that everyone else in this family had to go with (unless they were old enough to drive their own, flying is banned as a way for transportation, fun fact.) But in exchange they have to tell absolutely nobody else. (Mom and dad already knew, but they didn't care anyway.)

"Of course."

Something was wrong with me. Something was always wrong with me now that I've accepted the fact that I was just born a fool as they would say.

"Phil Lester! Get dressed for your schooling. Look at your elder sister and tag along her escort, a fool has the universal sense to copy." That's what I am. A fool. A fool is a person diagnosed of not having the potential to reach the naturally smarter peers, which did not make my mother in high spirits. The only rationale to why I go to a standard school instead of one for people like me is because my sister's a prodigy. Always brighter than the rest of her contemporaries, this put me in the circumstances to trail after her like a dog that was given as an endowment from a mother to her offspring.

I begrudgingly got out of bed and into my closet packed with sweaters and T-Shirts, selecting my usual uniform for schooling – a pallid suit with a _snazzy_ black coat. Trying to get on my clothing as fast as feasible so my sister won't go off without me, yet again, I combed through my tresses with my fingers before bearing out of the door and into my sisters transport car. These forms of cars only exist to promising minds without the fret of price. Of course, the richest could get them if they are keen on paying that much currency for it, I can think of one individual, but I guess I'm one of those leeches to my own sibling. Mercifully, she'd rather let me go with her than amid the supplementary kids who got nil better to do than pick on the commonplace fool.

"About time…" She pressed some perplexing buttons before the proverbial _beep_ warned me to seize rigid with the air mounting thicker against my skin and the usual _pop_ in my ears telling me that we arrived at the trepidation building, for schooling.

My hands rubbed my ears instinctively before getting out as my sister did. Mother was right, _a fool always has the universal sense to copy_. It's not like I wanted to be a fool, words always looked droll and disorganized trying to read them so brisk like everyone else, and maths constantly seemed to get lost and ripped into something unrecognizable in my understanding.

I followed behind my sister like a puppy to their proprietor, staying that way pending until we both split, she going on higher floor levels, depending on our year. This was my sisters graduating year, and I couldn't be more proud of her, but egocentric, continual thoughts keep recurring like _'She won't subsist there for me when I need her for emergencies'_ or, _'Bullying is going to increase tenfold being devoid of her.'_

Instead of thinking about it a great deal, I resolute to only focus on getting from point A to point B, point B being P.E., something I'm essentially shoddier at than my academics dejectedly.

 **A/N: I don't know, what do you guys think? I'll continue some more, but I think this is a good start**

 **(=^-^=)b~**


	2. Not The Brightest

I trudged along the school floors, trying to be as imperceptible as possible. Go unaided exclusive of anyone concerned that you're present, without anybody bothering you just because they're superior. I do have an individual friend though in this dumpster of a school, but I have no lessons with him and I consider he just befriended me out of pity. My eyes were planted on the ground, on foot through assorted people giving me dreadful stares as I went the big gymnasium chock-full of students benevolent to give me the their unchanged looks, various snickered at my pliable entrance.

Even though I was early, I rushed towards the changing room to put on my gym outfit, taking my saccharine instant in the crook of the room, putting on apparel too big for me. Locks my hair were already had presentation of sweat in this advanced technological area with machinery that does the changing for you, though just like my sister's car, only straight A students are advantaged to use such equipment. It like a recompense for people whose self worth is more imperative, and I'm at the base of that barrel.

Being packed of anguish wasn't my intention; I just admit to the facts even though I'm not so content about them. My depleted shoes squeaked walking out the door as I went to my customary standing spot in P.E., the very rear. Thirty people in total stand spaced out, jacketing the whole gym like pins covering a field, assigned by the instructor. Habitually, people that hold more a promising prospect are additionally liked, bringing them to the frontage, unless you're a jerk like Keith, who chooses the back of the class just to single out on me. It's not like the technology or people here can say no to the progeny of the all eminent _hero_ who outsmarted the barbarians and tricked them to their own bereavement.

Why he had to be in the equivalent school as me? Is my fortune really that piss poor to get a big shot like him stomping at my door? I looked over at him to witness that scorn on his face that I reviled a great deal, mouthing off some words that I get pelted with daily besides _'fool.'_ absurdly enough, I'm taller than him, in fact, I'm taller than the majority of the people in my classes, but that doesn't denote that he won't illustrate me his utter worst. I've seen it, and I'm indebted that it hasn't happened to me – so far.

A voice appeared giving its typical line to initiate the class. It doesn't come from a corporeal human being, but a screen planted in the walls with subtitles to what it says. First, a bottle green grid showed faded in on the floor, screening that everyone was in their assigned spot, and then the whole room distorted into a track field. I have a deep abhorrence for running.

"You have ten minutes to scamper as many laps as you can, good luck." The mysterious voice called out as the long beep indicated to set in motion.

I dropped off my younger siblings at school before driving off to my own school, meeting with my fried PJ along the way. PJ was one of the few friends that I can really count on not to focus on my _'Howell'_ side. He's not afraid to pick on me and laugh with me if he wanted to.

"I'm really not into learning today. Hey, how did turning your brother into a toad go?" He calmly stated when we drove off.

"Failed. Got caught and shit so now I'm banned from magic for the week."

"Yea, like you're going to follow that – fucking comical." He yawned.

"Exactly."

"Why can't school be something like Hogwarts? That place seems much more fun than doing Geometry."

"Talking more about the Lower Earth? That's their tale, and if you get caught, you're the one dead."

"My, I take offence to that. You've known me for how long?"

"Too long."

"Fair enough, but I'm not the person to run my mouth, you know that." Even though I was told never to tell anyone about the lower Earth, I decided to tell PJ about it, or at least how much I know. It was the thrill of doing something I was absolutely told never to do, and when I did, adrenaline would fill me with excitement. The taboo and secrecy of doing something I'm not supposed to gets me jumpy. Of course I know my boundaries, it's not like I'm going to kill someone.

After some talking with PJ, we arrived at the school with slumped shoulders and dead looks on our faces when people silenced themselves as I walked past them. As always, afraid. Afraid of whatever I do, afraid of whatever I say, but I can't really blame them. If anyone where to have a personal conversation with some of my bratty siblings, I'd be too. In fact, the whole reason why I befriended PJ in the first place, was because he wasn't afraid to say hi to me or call me a prick when I was. If I needed a reminder of what a real smile to a fake one was, I'd just remember his and be on my merry way.

The only class I look forward to the one mandatory late call they have every other Friday, the moment we've all been waiting for is today – hooray! It's an actual magic practicing class where the rules are strict, but you get to let yourself go instead of doing English and whatever. Though I can't dope on it all day, so I went to my classes without PJ, he was a year above me so it wouldn't be possible even if I wanted to. The only reason why I not going into one of those high end schools for those of the overly rich kind that has magic practice part in the curriculum, was because the _Howells_ were not the smartest of families, but I got a good B- average. And also it's not like mom and dad really cares anyway, they got their own problems to deal with (don't know why you'd have twelve kids then.)

After taking a drink from the water fountain, I headed off to dreaded history, where playing along was my cheat to getting an instant A.

Play along…

I was merely competent to complete about three and a half laps, leaving my pitiable lungs wheezing and fraught for air. In truth, my score wasn't that ghastly compared to others. I wasn't the most horrible, but I also wasn't the unsurpassed – remote from it. I guess that's something.

Maybe.

Shifting back into my attire as prompt as I am capable of, I went in the course of the daylight with an invisibility cloak, my preeminent resistance. Instead of looking petrified or frail, act like you're nothing. Nothing but drain air for added people to respire, like a background character that wasn't even in the motion picture, like the senseless idiot of a chick who was the first one to be killed off and elapsed. Serial killers don't fancy stabbing the tree the victims are hiding behind.

Wouldn't a real invisibility cloak be fastidious? It'd be a nice castle in the sky to gain magic abilities and just fly out of here, not looking back as I go up-and-adams above the clouds. This was why I was a fool.

Of course it doesn't always work out, if a person's having a dire day, it's trouble-free for them to pick off something straightforward, and something the majority of people won't mind if they do. A fool is the prevalent target, out of everybody else in this school. There are for eternity (or at least until Earth meets its annihilation) going to be people shoddier off than me, whether it'd be affluence or academics, so I keep that in mind whilst I feel at my nastiest. Make with what I have since I'm lucky sufficiently not to be the most ill-fated person in the world.

I'm also lucky enough to have very saccharine people want to be associates with me, but after spending some occasion with them, I learn they do it purely out of sympathy. They're okay hanging out with me, but don't want to be seen doing so, in school is where they're back to performing like I don't subsist.

So after hours of anguish through a mechanized teacher, and our day after day one-hundred question quiz, this time in maths, it was the instant for lunch. My eyes were preliminary to burn looking at all those questions on a desk panel (screen). I walked in the course of the cafeteria, watching out for people tenaciously trying to trip me and ignoring snickers, don't worry, I got use to them. While trying to find the table that no one, justifiably, wanted to use because it was diminutive and next to the compost incinerator, I spotted Chris Kendall wavering me over with a beam of teeth on his features.

Chris was one of those rarities in that he didn't heed if anyone saw him talking to the fool oh so nicely. Of course, he got singled out because of it, and even though he keeps saying that he doesn't mind, it just makes me mind tenfold.

"Phil!" Just like him, not troubled if anyone were to perceive sound. I sat down on the ashen table, letting the scanner in the heart of the table examine my student lunch ID before removing it, waiting for my food. Again this was an old fashion way to do stuff. People smart or prosperous could get one of the tables held in reserve for them so they get their food without delay, devoid of the whole process of waiting. That's why no one desires this table; it's the oldest method way to get food out there. Well, in a cafeteria at least.

"Do you have to bellow?" I said in a low tone.

"Stop being all downhill with me, don't you ever smile? Like… ever?"

"I do grin." To verify it, I forced a smile that only advanced Chris's point further. My Zygomaticus (muscles pull up the corners of your mouth) were obviously not used to this sort of exercise.

"You can always tell an authentic from a forged smile if they have eye wrinkles. That's why you go to elders with a lot of eye wrinkles; chances are they've been joyful more."

` "Wise words, still don't identify why you hang around with me if you're so intellectual." Right when I said that, my plate of food appeared from the middle of the table, and I started to eat with Chris.

"Stop saying that. I'm not friends with you just because you really necessitate some, no offense, but because I want to be that guy to say I knew you when. I can just feel you're going to do something immense so much potential is just going to bust out of you one day."

"Uh, thank you?" Even though I heard it a thousand times, the fact that he's either trying to applaud me up with vacant statements, or that one day where I'm going to let him down after all this time in believing in me, makes me a bit poignant. It shouldn't be though – I should try to smile more like he said and not be such a downer.

"One day, I'm going to have the contentment of saying I told you so when your self-esteem is not in the negatives."

"Chris, I odium to tell you–"

"Not hearing it. How'd you do in P.E.? I only got almost three laps in."

"Um, about three and a semi."

"See, improved than most people." Chris concluded his meal and put his serving dish through the waste slot where it will be appropriately burned and recycled.

"Yes…. what class do you have subsequently?" By this time I was poking at my food, I wasn't really hungry anymore.

"Science, you?"

"Just English. Hey, could you pitch this in the trash for me?"

"What? You've barley eaten anything."Chris held the platter like he didn't discern what to do with it.

"Don't worry, I'll throw it in the trash." A voice that I recognized immediately hovered over us. The voice I spurn most. He promptly took it absent from Chris' hand and proceeded to dump the rest of the victuals on me, covering myself in pasta and spaghetti sauce. It was even sliding on the inside of my shirt? What a fucking nightmare this curved into.

 **Warning: I'm an American idiot, so if I got anything wrong, just tell me.**

 **Bleh, I'll update more some later**

 **(=^-^=)b~**


	3. Just an Idea

"See? Didn't have go very distant for the trash can." The mocking syrupiness in his say gave me chills, as other people stared at the muddle that was me. He dropped the entire plate on me before walking to who knows where, inaudibly laughing away. My imperceptible façade wasn't functioning any longer; people were looking at the freak show and his meager friend, parting me with zilch but to recoil.

I sought after to say something to Chris like _'Do you really see the potential now? Stop believing into something that's not there.'_ But I didn't want to alarm Chris anymore than he previously was. Or I just didn't covet to mislay the solitary ally I had. So, as a substitute, I said not an utterance with my head down like it always was, with my shoulders shrugged trying to make myself as diminutive as achievable.

Even though I heard a few snickers here and there, the cafeteria was ethereal silent with no doubt Keith's footsteps hollowing through the scope. Even the ever so sanguine Kendall dared not converse. I don't know why people were so stunned, the literal identical mania happened a few months in the past, with a cluster of additional things that are not very civil and welcoming, so why do they still come across at me like a kicked puppy? One that was deceased in the first place.

The stares intended for at me were making it hard to just not recall and uproot like I already do. A state of affairs like this would never inconvenience me, but people saw it, they saw something that would formulate anybody to be a little dejected and angry.

And I was irate.

Wretchedness is a feeling that I grew too use to, to be concerned for it anymore. Thing's like _'Why was I born a fool? If he were me instead of the other way around, it wouldn't be so side-splitting would it?'_ though the supplementary part of me realizes; what am I going to do regarding it? It's not like I could just situate up for myself and instantaneously break down my muddy walls. The Walls that keeps whispering to come closer and closer until they get too thunderous to pay no heed to, too strident to the point that it starts to get vexing.

Not expressive on what to do, I stood up trying to shake the pasta off as Chris was trying to coax me with incoherent vocabulary.

"It's fine." I said in the hub of scrapping off tomato sauce. Making a big deal out of things wasn't me, I just want this total event to be above and done with, acting like no one saw a thing. Acting like I was once again, nothing.

"No, it's–"he cut himself rotten of suchlike he was going to say. "Let's get you cleaned up." People currently started to whisper with their own assemblage of associates as he began to plunk up with me, making his way to my plane of the table.

"With what unerringly? It's not like I can use one of those machinery…"

"The faculty will comprehend if you use mine, you can fit my clothes." He said with no fret in his tone, which is one thing I akin to about him. He doesn't act unnerved around me when stuff like this happens – the final thing I desire to do is to make someone agonize because of me. Chris stood by my side as we exited the cafeteria, with only a few minutes left of lunch to auxiliary.

Lunch was over with as I made my way towards dreaded science, everyone's least favorite subject for some reason. Well, of course I know, but like with everyone, that's a secret.

Actually, I think knowing about the lower earth and how science based they are makes the subject a little more amusing, a little easier to deal with teachers that even drone themselves out. Interesting to think that a whole new world that I'll never be able to meet, has a whole different society than ours, where magic doesn't exist and "technology" replaces it. I don't think I'd be able to survive without magic honestly. You have to get a potentially dangerous machine to do what a flick of the wrist is all it takes here.

Anyway, after surviving learning about chromosomes, I think, PJ and I meet outside our next classroom, a class that we had together.

"Hey, bad news." He said in a relaxed voice trying to get my attention. I already have an idea of what he's going to say, and I'm not liking it.

"Mhmm?"

` "There's another rumor spreading about you, though it's not as bad as the last one at least."

"Great… What is it?" I sighed and leaned against the wall.

"From what I've heard, you've made the middle finger drawing on Mr. Fautso's whiteboard saying: _'fuck off moron'_

"Oh, is that why he was looking at me that way last class? I was wondering why. But to all that, no, I'd rather waste my time doing that to someone else more painful than boring old Fautso."

"Man, why do they always go for you? I feel kinda left out."

"Because why not? I'm the big target that won't chase after the person who started it, like some of my other siblings would. And trust me; be glad you're not invited because there's only one person there."

I got distorted into the same uniform as I was earlier; all and sundry wore the same thing anyways, except it was a bit baggier in my too scrawny of a size.

"You look like high-quality, like zilch happened." He said minimally as we walked keen on our subsequent class five minutes a late, separate class that is. We had no passes for being delayed, and I didn't really feel like amplification the discomforting circumstances to even further people, so I established my tardy and waited for more anguish to begin with. Fortuitously, Keith wasn't in English, He was at the superior grade levels for being that smart as it appears, and there's no likelihood of me being there. Even though English (and history somewhat) was my utmost area under discussion, that didn't modify the fact that I was still deficient in ostensibly impracticable requirements that other people were fleeting with ease. Like being at least on average of reading 1,000 words per minute, meanwhile I can merely do 700 at the majority; or being competent to write an essay of 2,000 words (based on whatever the teachers endow you with) in five minutes. Something you can kiss valediction to with how I'm able to write.

Some computerized teachers take pity on me and therefore become their darling student in a way, and others appear at me like a human sized roach that crawled into the classroom. Example: the CPU in English gives me a lot more time, while the one in science, the enormously appalling terror of a subject, roll their eyes and with determination, try not to gaze at me, while favoriting the smarter students.

After submitting my essay, I only got about 1,000 or so words before the five minutes were up, to my desk screen, I was elsewhere in no time with merely one subject left thank god. But did my daylight always have to end on the absolutely awful terror of a subject called science?

But it doesn't substance, I should be used to it by now, or at least I ought to nevertheless, but the quantity I'm at the rear in this class is utterly upsetting. Neuroscience, the study of the human nervous system and the diseases associated with it, is what we're learning for, for about a week before the big test. There are just myriads of names to commit to memory and what they do, and it's impractical to cram for them when homework takes so long to draw to a close. My slumber has gone downhill to about four hours at most from maybe just with school unaided, and when I'm finally able to study, my eyes are beseeching for sleep. I already have a 30 page research report to do in history that we got yesterday, due tomorrow of all things.

Wouldn't it be pleasant to have day off of school instead of everyday being the identical thing? Actually having time to do stuff other than inscription on a screen for Pete's sake…

I slaved away, sitting at the very back as customary. It helps the computer loads by not being able to perceive me.

Every time a rumor pops up about me, I feel more conscious of what I hear. I start to wonder, _'How did I not notice?'_ when people shush their friends when I walk by. Again, this fear that people tie to me when I swear I I'm only a human being just like you believe it or not. But then I have to remind myself that I can't blame them for feeling the understandable fear when it comes to the Howell name; the name that says _superior_ when I don't want it to. There were times that I remember when people stood up for themselves because they hated me (other than PJ, because he's my friend) and in those times I felt great. In those times, people realize I'm not a bad person as I go along my merry way, happy that my day wasn't just filled with just silence. But sadly, that's when they get too cocky and decided to confront people like Sky, the top of the siblings who would've beaten them up from just looking at him. Heck, he almost beat me up when I tried to turn him into a toad, which my parents intersected immediately to stop that from happening.

What I'm most disappointed in is my parents – which it should be the other way around, shouldn't it? They decided to have so many kids because it was my mother's dream growing up, and now they can't even take care of them. The sadder thing is, is that she still wants more, but she's too old for that now. Also, it's the fact that they gave us anything we wanted then left for business, which left a lot of the older kids, the first five I like to say, growing up with a silver spoon in their mouth. I could have ended up like my bratty and bully siblings if it weren't for people like PJ to keep me in check, and when I got old enough, I made sure to care for my younger siblings so they don't become people like Sky or Evelyn – the frontiers of assoholics.

Even though I don't like to admit it, I am a little self conscious just in general. I hate the rumors, I hate the stigma, I hate my heritage, and I hate… most of my family. Sometimes, I like to think about what it would have been to be born in just a normal family, would all my problems be solved? No, that me would wish this life as much as I wish for that life – as they say, the grass is greener on the other side.

Finally, it was time to go to the most anticipated class for most people, MAB, or magic and boundaries. I wasted no time getting out of the classroom first, going off without PJ. He'll be there anyway.

There's a specific place for this class, only people with passing grades can come first of all, and it's outside the school building. It's located far beside the building in a big dirt field, with another big classroom at the end of the field. I was kind of funny seeing other students (In the same year) walk like a horde of zombies towards the same building, I don't know, I just have weird sense of humor maybe. They can't use their powers; using magic in public was always a big no, no, with all the potential disasters it could create like an increase in crime.

"Hey!" I shouted at PJ to get his attention. I noticed that there was a huge circle around me of nothing, well, until PJ came into the weird bubble of unneeded space. We both talked a bit until arriving and taking whatever seat there was in the humungous classroom, being me, I took the back row.

"So, let's start with attendance, if I miss or mispronounce you're name just shout it to me." I don't know how Mrs. Emelda could carry her voice like that across the entire room; I suspect magic but then again I always do when I don't understand something. Emelda was the adult that students would have a crush on – AKA, that one hot teacher that I don't really see the charm in. I never really found any of the typical hot teachers that classmates would talk about attractive, but that's just me.

It was some time until she finally reached my name with that same hesitation in her voice since forever.

"Daniel… H–Howell." At least it's not as bad as the first time she was here, when she nearly had a heart attack reading my last name.

"Present." This went on until the actual lesson started.

"Okay, so today we're doing something a bit special," She did a weird soft clap motion with her back palms, along with a modest smile. "We're doing a dream spell, got that? There are a couple variations of it like putting someone to sleep, or having someone dream a certain thing. We will also teach you how to defend against it, ready?" The class said _"Yea!"_ like elementary kids – but the concept seemed pretty cool. "Okay!" She waved her hand, doing some gestures when a mouse appeared on our desk. See, that's what the Lower Earth got wrong about magic. There's no wand or words, it's just doing the correct motion and gestures with your hands with the correct state of mind, otherwise you can get some pretty hefty consequences.

"We're first going to learn how to put the mouse on your desk to sleep, they're a few ways of doing it, but this one is the most widely accepted technique of doing so." The white mouse on my desk looked frantic and confused to the point where I felt sort of bad for the poor rodent. Hopefully, I don't accidently kill it. "Don't do anything yet, just watch what I do and listen carefully." Everybody in the room was silent, looking at the teacher with anticipation. "I'm going to make a motion with one hand like I'm petting a cat, stroking its soft fur with a gentle touch as if the animal's sleeping so you don't want to wake it up." She said in a slow, soothing voice, as if she was reading a bedtime story rather than teaching a bunch of kids about somewhat dangerous magic. "But instead of doing it on the animal, you're going to hover over it with you mind and focus all on the living being, note: you can do this on a human with the same effort put into something as small as a moth." Gosh, I hate moths. Fun fact number two for everybody out there. "Now watch." This was the part of the lesson when she went on to demonstrate it, when some student's eyes were popping out of their sockets. Not literally, don't worry.

Silence filled the air when she did this for about five awkward seconds when the rodent practically fell hard asleep, amazing everyone. She made one person do it at a time, before letting two go at once as she went down the rows of teenagers. It was a procedure for the instructor to watch them try the any spell just in case some accident happens.

Of course, when it was my turn, the teachers gaze was upon another student next to me as I preformed the spell flawlessly. The instructor was eager to move on ahead of me. The class was long, with about 70-80 students in one single classroom, so it was mostly just a lot of waiting as you watch the same person do the same thing, with the same mistakes, over and over again. For the most part, I wasn't paying attention – just looking at the mouse with sympathy.

She went on with the next spell, finally.

"Now that everyone's rodent is asleep, we can go ahead now but controlling their dreams. This is a very advanced spell and I don't expect anyone to get it right the first try, so I'm only going to call up a few people, okay?" People shook their heads like zombies. "Alright, now the thing that makes it hard for a lot of people to perform this spell is their place of mind. Essentially, you do the same motion as if you were putting _it_ to sleep again, except instead of putting all of your focusing on the living being, you need to focus on what dream you're going to give it. It seems easy, but it's hard to focus on _it_ as you think of what to give it and nothing else. There are two ways to do it, and one's a bit harder. I'm going to need to people to do the easier version." Half the class raised their hand but she only picked the people in the front.

Two people I didn't know got up and did their little show of sorts, a short girl with brown curly hair, and a sun-kissed boy – people I don't really care enough about.

"To start off, we're going to create the dream first, then transfer it into someone that's asleep. Do this to something awake, nothing will happen." She brought out two spheres that I think I've seen before when sneaking into my older brother's room; I don't know what they're were supposed to be used for, but looks like I'm about to find out. "How you do this, is with this sphere specifically designed to contain magic. These things are very expensive to get yourselves and are only given for educational purposes, so while this process of doing things make it a lot easier – the way to get these spheres are unlikely to many. Unless you're a magic instructor like me." The two glass globes were placed in front of the volunteers on the long wooden desk. "So," Her attention was fully on the nameless students. "Do the same motion with your hands like you did last time," The students were following her steps like a step by step guide. "Then focus on the sphere, how light passes through it, the shape, the size, everything." In front of the many of their classmates, they were probably in a lot of pressure to not screw up, but it's hard to focus with many eyes staring directly at you, watching your every move. "Now while you have your attention on the glass ball, think of a dream – could be a concept, or you can visualizes the whole thing, it doesn't matter." Soon, the sphere stared to form a mist, like the sparkly blue ball I made to impress Jack and Denise, except this one was cloudier and two of the balls were different colors. The girl's sphere was almost a black while the boy's was a pale purple shade. "Okay," she did same motion with her hand from earlier and there came another mouse, already asleep, in front of the boy so they each had a snoozing rodent. "Now, each of you put your hand on the sphere, and try to absorb the magic you just created." And they followed blindly, both succeeding I think with their hand sort of glowing at the color they made. "Good, this is going very well! Now, place your hand directly over the living being and then put your focus back directly on your mice." With a bit of hesitation, they did so as the glow in their hand started fading away, slowly, as the mouse on the woman's side began to twitch. "What did you think of?" The instructor said calmly to the curly haired girl.

"I thought of the mouse trying to run away from a big, hungry cat." Wow, poor thing. Mrs. Emelda went over to the boy next, and asked the same question.

"Uh, thing that happens in my daily life – I don't know what I was doing."

"You knew exactly what to do."

When he said that, an idea popped in my head all of a sudden. Something crazy, but it might be worth the thrill – or I might get caught and be sent to execution, but anyway…

"I know that face, what are you thinking of now?" PJ who was right next to me whispered. I was ignoring Emelda's second technique on how to do the spell without the sphere, only using her as a volunteer to demonstrate this time. I didn't need to know the other way to do it. Not with what I'm about to do.

"What do you mean _'That face'_?"

"It's the face you make when you're planning on some sort of mischief." He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"And what face may that be." If everyone knows what it is, then it's no secret that I'm planning something. And also I'm just curious.

"You squint your eyes and look at the corner of the room – and it always happens in class." I guess when boredom roams rancid; your mind tags along into some strange places. Can't say he's wrong now that I think about it.

"Fair enough – so what?" I replied in a monotone voice.

"So, what are you thinking about?" Oh PJ, easy to stick his nose into someone else's business; though it's not like I don't do it too.

"You really want to be involved?" I replied snarky.

"Dan – where the hell is your head at?" PJ cautiously asked.

"You know mischief is what I do best."

"So you won't tell me, will ya?"

"Well" I lowered my voice even more, and if he can't hear me that he's out of luck. "I think it's high time someone else knows more about the other world."

"What? Come on, who else do you really trust not to spread it around. Like I said, and like you know well enough, rumors run in this school." He was now speaking in the same level I was with half seriousness and half, _'You're joking, right?_ '

"Not any one from this school," I looked at him again when I realized when I was doing the face again. "Someone from the lower Earth." PJ's mouth fell open a bit before shutting it closed again.

"And… how do you plan on doing that?"

"Have you been paying attention" I poked my thumb toward the teacher as she had everyone's full attention – well, except us.

"But, how? How do you plan on bringing your magic all the way down to the lower Earth?"

"Easy, I'll grab the sphere that those two students used earlier, from my brother's room, Sky, and then I'll cast my magic to whomever it finds at night – where most people are asleep doing whatever. I will then continuously send that person dreams about the upper Earth." There was complete silence for a second or two of PJ trying to process the information thrown at him.

"Yea, but what if you get caught, or the spell will find an awake person so essentially, you just wasted you're magic. So many really bad things could come from this if you screw up."

'But that's the fun of it, the danger you feel trying _not_ to get caught. Besides, I'm a good liar – I could probably blame it on some gang member when things come to worst. Even better if I convince that Sky did it."

"That's… horrible. And you are not a good liar."

"Well, I was able to fool you earlier; good enough for me you big skeptic." It took almost a year to convince him of the Lower Earth when I told him, and even now he's still a little bit on the fence.

"Fool me earlier? That rumor… you–"

"Guilty as charge."

 **Yea… hey, since I missed a day of posting, so you get a longer chapter. Yay!**

 **(=^-^=)b~**


	4. A Sleep Spell

My brother was probably out with his friends doing whatever; don't even want to know what anyway, so I snaked into his humongous size of a bedroom. The older siblings get the bigger rooms, and Sky was no exception – it could be a small house on its own, and the only room bigger than his, is our parents. Hopefully this won't take too long to look for, and more importantly if Sky even has it anymore.I've actually been in his room multiple times if I wanted to create mischief, or to just piss him off, but mostly the foremost because he usually obtains a lot of magic items not given to normal citizens. As you can already see, the Howells are not normal citizens.

I started to look for where I saw it last, like three or so years ago, but I trudged on more into my memory just to get a glimpse, but barley anything showed up – just the sphere I was looking for in the first place. Sighing, I went to look on top of his messy drawers, and saw nothing but granola bar wrappers and other random stuff. Typical.

After looking for awhile, and not wanting to get caught by Sky coming in without warning, I was this close to giving up and doing it some other time when I remember another place. That other place being under his bed. Sucking it up and preparing what I might find under there, I was surprised to see just magic items, littered thought his big bed. _'So this is where he hides them?'_ I thought to myself. I have no idea where he could have gotten some of this stuff, ranging to everyday availability, to stuff I thought was banned, no matter what the reason. They probably are banned and he just snuck them into our house to be honest.

Pushing unneeded stuff out of the way, and staring at some for a little more than required, I saw a glint of glass in the corner of eye. Finally! I grabbed at it and got out of the bed fast before Sky comes home, immediately going back to my room with it hidden under my jacket.

Using my magic, I decided to send an update to PJ on how everything's going. ' _Everything is going alright, just got the sphere.'_ I thought before the message was sent. PJ doesn't know how to send messages, so I wasn't really expecting any response.

Looking down at the magic item, I started to put a few magic spells in it. From what I remember at school, she said later on that you can use these spheres hold a multiple of four spells, even mix them together of you wanted to – I think. So I started with a navigation spell going into the Lower Earth, thinking it should go to a student preferably, someone who doesn't speak much… and the rest was up to the spell itself. My magic has a knack for finding people fit for it, so I wasn't too worried. Then I did that sleep spell Mrs. Emelda taught us, hopefully I do this right. I followed her instructions with the whole petting the cat, and pretending the sphere was a mouse. When, I think, I did the spell right, I did the dream one next. I just thought of the concept of the Upper Earth, how people use magic and daily school stuff, nothing too complicated. In the glass ball floated a mist of many colors, the dream one giving off a simple purple like the boy from earlier.

Sending another message to PJ, it was time to do the most dangerous step, and it even made me sweat a little. If I were to get caught, I would really hope I live up to my words with PJ in saying that I was a good liar. That aspect would be the real test that I, with any luck, won't have to take.

I didn't change out of my clothes into my pajamas so I didn't have to deal with the hassle of going outside with them. My feet felt cold against the wooden floor until I put my socks and shoes on, fully dressed to either achieve something big or fail on a whole 'nother level. I pray it's the foremost. I plan on going to the big tower in the park. It's famous for marking the capital of the Upper Earth, not that we call it the Upper Earth because most people don't even know it of such a thing.

It's only about a few ways from our house, lucky me, so as I was running with a secret under my coat in a busy neighborhood, I saw the tower, closed off from tourists. There were no guards, but there was magic guarding it, thankfully after being here so many times, I learned the secret way to teleport to where you want. It's a very difficult spell, and to do it under pressure like running from authority can lead to some bad consequences. Not somewhere you want to be.

Clearing my mind, I focused everything I had into clearing my mind into nothing but where I want to end up. I have to get the picture right if I want this to work. There are no hand movements, but it's so difficult to do it perfectly, like when someone interrupts you in the middle of the spell and you flip, almost dropping the magic item.

"PJ!" I didn't mean for that to come out as a yell, but it was better than punching the day lights out if him.

"Calm down." He said as he went through the barrier with ease, it's almost like he's mocking me.

"How–"

"They got rid of it." He stated simply.

"Why did they get rid of it?"

"Too much effort to keep it up, and after not catching anybody for years, they realized it was pointless to keep trying."

"But we're trespassing – and why are you here?"

"Nice observation. And secondly I was just curious. Want to see if this actually works." He smiled, which intern made me sigh in exasperation.

"I thought you were the one to say _"this is too dangerous."_ Changing sides now?"

"I guess so. Are you doing this or not?"

"Yea, yea, I'm coming. And also, if I were any further in that spell, I could've ended up in a volcano or something." I complained and walked to where he was standing, going up the many concrete stairs until the tower turned dark and away from the outside. Also, this is making me realize that I need to exercise more.

"My legs." I complained again.

"Suck it up princess – also, how smoothly did getting the sphere go? Any complications?"

"Ha, ha, and if you don't count how long I tried to find the stupid thing, then no."

"Aw, I was kind of hoping for something exciting."

"If you want something exciting, then do this yourself."

"Yea, well, you have the upper hand of knowing where to look for things like that in the first place. Did you already put the spells in it?"

"Yep."

"Can I see it?" PJ said like he was eight years old again.

"When– whatever." I gave in and showed him the orb full of swirling mist. He looked at it for a bit before I put it back in my jacket.

"That's actually pretty cool, I hope this does work."

"You should be. It'd be a waste of all I just went through to make this work."

"Why did you want to do this again?"

"I don't know, the thrill maybe of doing something I'm not supposed to? That's why I told you about the Lower Earth anyway."

"Hmm…" Our somewhat short conversation ended when we reached the first pedestal with my legs cramping up, and my lungs out of breath.

"This… is as far as we need to go." I went into the open air, looking down at the ground far below.

"Why are we here?" PJ asked.

"There isn't just one portal to get to the Lower Earth, remember when I showed you one in our house?"

"Then why didn't you use that one?"

"Because different portals, a different place of the Lower Earth, and also that portal is in my parent's room, so…" I went ahead and grabbed a piece of stone on the ground and lifted it, this small spot was where the magic happens. With PJ looking to see what I did next, I did the same trick the two students did earlier by absorbing every spell in the sphere, it felt very heavy, then transferring it till the patch of dirt formed into a sort of black hole. And just like that, everything was set.

I went home, fatigued as always, with masses of homework in the offing for me at residence. The baggage under my eyes were not departing away anytime presently as I looked into my scope to see the dreaded life-size package, full of substance I have to turn in tomorrow or the day past. Impulsively, I rubbed my eyes and sighed as it was second nature to me.

Most students in my school were elsewhere for an occasion, with people that already having accomplished their homework in the next hour or so. I was on no account going to be one of those individuals. Having a session with my desk with a VDT I was used to burning my retinas day in and day out, I opened the box with my feeble limbs, taking out with foremost set of paperwork that clumped into my pass. Slamming it downward on the desk, the behind the times paper was without delay, transferred into the screen, having it all structured so I could turn it in devoid of the hassle of bringing it to schooling.

My wits were screeching for sleep, every measurement of my carcass was forcefully telling me to facilitate, this wasn't right – I ought to go to bed. But the supplementary part of me was saying, _'all and sundry had to go throughout the unchanged exact thing, why are you to any further extent exceptional? Just because you weren't intuitive with the appropriate intelligence, doesn't represent everyone else has to crouch down to your level.'_ at times, my own judgments could be hard-hitting on me. What did I _value_ more in the end – concluding this up like I do every day, or be troubled about it later as I take on heaven offer of rest, but blight myself out the next day? I retain information of the instance where I just couldn't lever it anymore, I required some shut eye, and for an eight year old it felt like abuse. Back then, I conjectured how everyone else could've completed it, so my only commonsensical elucidation was that they blew it off and still got acclaim for trying. Let's just say my mother was furious when my speculation was perceptibly erroneous.

Though, I wondered, what if I did it yet again. That reaction I have not felt in an extensive time, lingers over me like a spider in the offing for it pray. _'I need it.'_ A fraction of my mind said. _'just get it over with, gosh'_ another articulated. Which should I eavesdrop to? Of course the latter was the better choice, no qualm, but the foremost is way more alluring. It's like having the option of eating sweets, and cakes, or plain celery for the rest of your existence – you know which one's better for you in the end, but you desire it wasn't so.

I pressed on, intriguing my mind to further confines as each of my poisonous _tick tocks_ takes its toll to my termination. Just finish this, and then you can burrow up in the bed all you crave, okay Phil? Taking out my pen, specialized to simply write on screens like this, I tapped on my primary project it wants me to inclusive. How this machinery works, is that it takes the homework you nourish it to and systematizes it from highest of importance to something that is typically due the day subsequent.

Revolving my skull around, I spotted my divan with its sheets satisfactorily ready and the cushion suitably fluffed. The area was an immobile hush, with the tapping of my computerized pen the only resonance echoing off the ramparts. An eccentric pull was approaching me absent of my chair with my eye lids heavier than it eternally was previous to. Bizarrely, I couldn't turn my head and construct myself to do my homework. I was swiftly more drained than I ever was prior – something was wrong. Surely I was tired almost every night since school began as a kid, but now something was demanding me to take a nap, something that I couldn't explain. Maybe it was just me.

 _'It's not like you'll do any better if you tried anyway'_ I heard a voice, not even sure at this point if it was my possess thought. I was too dead beat to care. I was submitting to the urge to ascend into the sheets and close my eyes, pending the inevitable regret the very next day.

 **More magic to come next so hold on tight to that!**

 **(=^-^=)b~**


	5. IF Only

I was abruptly in a place unrecognizable. In a different bed, and a dissimilar room, I got up with a woman's voice waking me up to go to school, and I knew it wasn't mother's. She would on no account say _'school'_ it was until the end of time schooling, or even institution sometimes, but to call it something so undemanding was inconceivable. Also, the woman's voice was too honey like to be analogous – mother always has a rasp at the end of her sentences, not that I minded really.

Looking around the room for a bit, I saw an abnormal amount of decorations on the walls that would be deemed unprofessional to any sane person.

It wasn't until I looked down at my individual cadaver to see that something was wrong. _"When was suddenly not so pale?"_ I thought to myself. I walked over to the mirror in the somewhat messy room to take a peak of myself. Instantly, my eyes widened. My ebony hair was replaced with red, and my greenish-blue eyes were a pool of brown, nothing was right, from my height to my tresses. Sure I was freaked, who wouldn't be after waking up in someone else's body, but I kept it together and tried to figure out what I should do next.

The voice that belonged to a mysterious woman appeared at the entrance with long locks of brunette, and amber eyes. Who was this woman? Was she supposed to be the mother of this boy? I'd assume so, but I was never good at guessing.

"Get dressed or you're going to be late." I could only stare at her, wondering what the hell was going on. My mother would've said something then let me run to my sister's car, but the woman standing in front of me had a sense of warmth that I've never felt before. Something that made me envious for this child's parents.

"Uh, Phil?" She asked, getting a little creeped out by my staring. One thing that caught me off guard was the use of my name, first being that this child's name is also Phil, or otherwise and second being that someone actually called me Phil, my real name. With the exception of Chris, I was generically called _fool_ as a replacement. And something as simple as hearing Phil made my heart pound.

"Uh, mom?" I asked unsurely, she could've been my sister, who knew?

` "Yes?" Okay, so she is my mom, what else should I say?

"Um," I tried to come up with something, but the formation of tears caught me off guard. I thought my tears were something of the past, something I was drained out a long time ago, but this wasn't the usual feeling of heartbreak and how unfair everything was. I can't quite put my finger on it.

"Are you okay?" She asked concerned. Another feeling from someone else that I haven't heard from in a long time – well, other than Chris yet again.

"Yes?" My voice cracked a bit, and the new sensation of a swelling in my throat appeared.

"Wait, honey, is everything alright?" she walked over to me, putting both of her warm hands on my shoulders. I couldn't speak, I couldn't respond, I couldn't do anything without bursting into tears like a little baby. The mother here used such simple language that would've been frowned upon in today's world, but even so, it made me feel a lot more comfortable with her.

"I–" My mouth shut automatically when I felt a strange wetness slide down my cheek, something so foreign that I wanted to disappear from the solitary tear itself. But I didn't have to because she wiped it away for me with the flat of her thumb.

"Tell me, what's wrong?" I could see the real apprehension in her eyes, which made me want to speak, but I didn't let myself. I'd only embarrass myself even further. "Come on, on your fingers, say how bad it is out of ten." Not knowing what to do, I didn't raise any fingers. "I can call the school and say you'll be missing today if it's really that bad, okay? Is it really that bad?" That took me into such a shock, that it made me stumble backwards a bit, my eyes widened. Even for the highest scholars, things like missing school was a big no, no, unless you were in the hospital – and if that were the case, then school would be brought to you instead. The fact that I heard a parent say their child could miss school was unbelievable; something that I didn't think was possible. But here I was. "Phil, lay down and I'll get you some water." She backed away from me to give me some space.

"No, no, I–" I tried to shut down the offer, but I was promptly thrown back onto the bed by some strange force, like the force that made me relentlessly tired. Looking up, I saw _my mother's_ wrist pull me to where I was. This day keeps getting stranger and stranger.

"I'm serious hun; I'll bring you to school when I know you're alright." And that's went she shut the door on her way out. A few thoughts were running through my mind, but I didn't have time to dwell on it because the world around me started to fade away. _"Oh no"_ I thought _"This was all a drea…"_

I woke up to a raspy voice telling me to get to school. My first thought was the homework I didn't finish and I immediately ran to my desk monitor to see… nothing on it. I pulled out the computer pen and went to my chart and saw everything turned in and with full credit no less. I never got full credit on my homework; a fool like me can't handle this much shock in his life time, my gosh. I turned around to get on my uniform, feeling my tear stained cheeks against the cool air.

It was the very next day after a night of mischief. I hope that everything goes well, being that I luckily didn't get caught against all odds thankfully.

After sending the spell down the portal, PJ was too tired to continue, and we both went home, but I stayed up a few more hours before going to bed being the night owl that I was. I wonder what my magic will do with that one person it found, if it worked in the first place anyway, because even though I'm one of those magic wielders, its mind is how it works in the first place. If it for some reason decided to turn against the person who set it free, there'd be no stopping it because in the end, it's the spells decision if it wants to follow its orders or not. That why many criminals don't use their magic when performing crime, as magic has its own sense of morality in a weird way. So the spell I casted last night could've easily decided to disobey me and done some disastrous thing, but like always, I have faith in it – it hasn't let me down yet.

Also the magic sphere thing was tucked away at the back of my closet, it's not like Sky needed it anyway.

There was no school today as it was the weekend, so I decided to meet up with PJ and find out who my magic found later on tonight; but for right now, all I could do was be bored like I always was when I'm not pulling stunts that could get me in serious trouble. I'm still banned from magic for the week, even though I disregarded that rule completely, so I can't publically use it around the house without being caught and furthering my punishment. I learned the hard way that's it's not worth it.

Around this house, I could care less about my siblings and what they're up to daily, unless it's a very serious situation. There have been times where the Howells have been in the news because of something that my usually Sky did, or that one time I was caught – but most of it was just speculation and rumor.

There was a small knock on my door. I knew who it was, that boy insists on having some sort of weird pass code with knocks,

"Come in!" I yelled, realizing that I forgot to close my door last night, a mistake that I should really fix sooner or later. A small head poked in, belonging to the quirky Tyler Howell. He wasted no time jumping on my bed and making his urgent entrance noticed as the 10 year old looked at me, sadder than what he usually was. Before I could ask _are you okay,_ he beat me to it with a loud statement.

"Dan!" Peter yelled with a pout to his face. He was always like this whether he'd be upset or happy. Always anxious, loud, and energetic, put that all together and you get this messy haired boy. He was one of the three siblings that I cared for most. "You don't have to tell." I chided him. He sat down on the white sheets and started playing with the material. "Evelyn is being a butt..." He explained frustratingly. "Not that, that's a surprise to anyone but still,"

"What did she do now?" Sky was the bully, and Evelyn was the person who tried to make everyone depressed, while getting them to feel bad for her. She was the typical mean girl with too much power for her own good, aka, my older sister.

"So, mom tried to talk to her because the school was trying to suspend her, but then Evelyn freaked out and started to destroy everything in the house. I think she's mad at mom." The house was big enough to not hear my sister's usual tantrums, thank goodness, but the only thing I was surprised in that statement, was the fact that the school had guts to suspend her. What the hell did she do?

"What did she do?" I asked curiously. "Dunno, mom won't even say because we're not old enough to understand. What does that even mean?" "I have no idea Peter." But I was curious to find out. "Why are you here anyway?" I asked softly.

"Because it's scary." Oh great, I know what that means. Unsurprisingly, came in two twins who made their self welcome on my sheets just like Peter.

"Dan," Jack started.

"Do you know what just happened?" Denise finished. They were both staring at me like they expected some sort of magical answer. Instead I got up and left them two behind.

"If you want, stay here, but I'm going to find out what happened, okay?" All three looked at me blankly before I headed off – or at least I tried to before Jack cut me off.

"Can we play with that pretty ball again? Please?" She stretched out the _'ea'_ in please, in hopes that she'll puppy dog her way into getting me to do so, but not this time.

"Not right now Jack." I said as I ran out my room before they started asking more questions. As I walked down the big hall, making my destination toward my parent's room, I could hear the pathetic cries coming from most defiantly my sister. It was always this routine of throwing a tantrum for not getting what she wanted, cursing at **anyone** who came within ten feet of her, then started to cry in hopes that my parents will feel bad. And the worst part is, is that my mom always falls for it. My mother will be the one to say sorry at the end as Evelyn would say something fucked up like, _'You should be sorry, bitch!'_ honestly…

Look, even if I am the trouble maker of this house, I knew a certain amount of what was right and what was wrong to know that what Evelyn was doing right now was so childish. In the end she'll be the one getting screwed over when Sky takes his inheritance, and leaves all the rest of us penniless, the rest of us will no longer be known as the Howells.

 **HMMmmmm, sorry that this is shorter than many of my previous chapters but anyway…**

 **Hope you like this chapter and more to come soon! Bye!**

 **(=^-^=)b~**


	6. Pathetic

I had no time to waste as I put on my uniform, ran off to my sister's car, and hope to every scientific theory out there, that whatever did happen to my homework wasn't just an illusion. That maybe I did my work in my sleep, if that's a thing anyway, but it didn't matter anymore as what is done is done – for better or worse. In the pit of my stomached, I felt an unpleasant feeling of nausea twist and turn like a ballroom dance, celebrating a marriage. Back when there was such a thing, now humans only reproduce to keep the world populated, things like love is for fools like me.

Everything passed by me so fast, that I felt an unwanted feeling of dizziness circle in a strange mist. From the melancholy dream, to panicking over the homework I'm pretty sure I didn't do, getting full credit nonetheless, I could understand maybe why I wanted to throw up out the window. Maybe I should have taken some medication before I left, but then again I didn't have the time to.

"Ready?" Like she always said, other than the typical _'You keep me waiting'_ and other stuff in that general area. My body would only allow a simple nod, with the uncomfortable sensation of dancing vomit waiting for my mouth to open.

When I heard the familiar _beep_ I tried to tighten every muscle I had, but for some strange reason, my mind couldn't really do it. It was like something that went along with my bit of dizziness, like one of those dreams that you can't fully move your limbs in. I have never so physically been this detached to the world around me.

But the dream I had with the caring mother, someone's mother at least, didn't feel like this. I remembered every detail as if I was actually in that room; the posters, the bed and how fluffy it felt, and how warm the woman's touch was… it was almost like I could feel her affection; I wish that was reality.

I don't know why in that dream, I felt more in tune than I was right here in this car, pending for a massive ear pop. If only I could've been that boy, oh what I would trade for it, but after today, I was probably going to be back dreaming the same thing – nothing.

And before I could've been prepared, because my body wouldn't let me, we were flashed without warning to school, with my eyes feeling like they might go flying out of my head. We both got out of the car with me needing to find the nearest trashcan to spew out last night's food.

In the room to the right of me, on my way towards my parent's room, I heard a loud curse word being directed at me. Unsurprisingly, when I looked over, I noticed it was my sister's room with Evelyn throwing her usual temper tantrum – the door wide open hoping that everyone was to hear her whining. Even something more laughable was Sky watching in amusement in something that he even knew was petty and childish, but that whole ordeal wasn't my place and I had another thing to focus on.

I didn't even want to look in her room, the expensive things that she purposefully breaks because mom will replace everything for her, being her first girl and all. Was this the product of a person being feed with a silver spoon all her life? Most defiantly – sometimes I wonder what it might've been like if she wasn't, if she were to have been raised as a normal citizen all her life; is it possible that she could've been a saint? Maybe.

Keeping objective on my first and foremost, I wasted no time looking back, if I'm that curious I could check the aftermath. Sometimes, getting lost in this house was quite hard not to see, but after living here all your life, you start to know the place inside and out – except for the rooms I haven't been into, but that that doesn't count.

Evelyn's room was not far from my parent's, so it didn't take long reaching the head-of-the-family-sized door and politely knocked on it, before going in anyway. It wasn't like they answered when anyone did it. What I saw was nothing uncommon; mother's crying mess, as she reaches for tissue after tissue, blowing her nose with the blotchiest of red faces.

"Mother?" That was all it took for her to wail louder to me. I was the only one that came to her in situations like this when father was out doing business, so I was her only shoulder to cry onto.

"Oh, Dan, it's terrible!" I would be lying if I didn't say she looked a bit pathetic with her on her enormous bed, as she was practically swimming in snot-filled tissues, crying out to her own child. But I didn't mind – much. Good thing about these situations is that I didn't have to go very far to know what just went down between the two drama queens. I stood by her like I always did, giving half-assed answers to comfort her.

"What happened?" I answered monotonously.

"I don't think I can even tell you…" That got me a little more intrigued – what the hell did just happen?

"Do you want to tell though?" I asked plainly.

"Well… I guess…"

 **I'm soooo sorry that this is way too short, but keeping up with my daily schedule, this is as much as I can muster for now – but don't worry because tomorrow I'll be back with the regular 2,000 words.**

 **Also, make sure you review, favorite, follow, whatever, because you doing those things keeps me really motivated so thank you to the people that already did.**

 **(=^-^=)b~**


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